The show may have scored a larger audience if not for an available sneak preview across various platforms, which the network pointed out in a statement.

“With ‘Halt and Catch Fire,’ we are targeting a passionate core audience that largely consumes television on its own timetable, which is why we made the premiere available through a sneak preview on a variety of platforms including AMC.com and Tumblr,” said Charlie Collier, AMC president. “The preview generated hundreds of thousands of plays and strong social media buzz — just off the results we can immediately measure. We are happy with the positive response to the show and look forward to sharing the rest of the season with viewers.”

By comparison, the Season 1 premiere of AMC’s “Mad Men” got 1.6 million viewers; the debut of the network’s “Breaking Bad” saw 1.4 million.

“The Walking Dead” debuted to 5.3 million viewers, though the zombie thriller is the biggest show on TV, two years running.

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